Undawntech: The Beginning of the Analog Mind
Posted: February 6, 2026 Filed under: AI Technology, Undawntech | Tags: AI Technology, Analog Mind, Baby boomers, Gen X, generations, Life, millennials, Undawntech, Writing to be Read Leave a comment
The last of the free-range children live in the X generation. We rode our bicycles to each other’s houses, sometimes miles away. We swam at the local watering hole, or city pool. We walked home from school. We worked out of the family home or business. We watched PG-13 and R rated movies without our parents. When our parents were at work, we unlocked the front door after school and waited for them to return home for dinner. We were given responsibility beyond our years. Our parents never verified where we were unless we didn’t call to check-in, or arrive home at sunset.
Gen X vs Other Generations
Generation X bridges the gaps in society and culture between the Baby Boomers, the children of the Depression Era parents of World War II, and the algorithmic digital minds of the Millennials and Generation Z. Some say that we are a forgotten generation. With all the talk of the younger and aging classes, Gen X could be viewed in this way.
However, we are so much more than what lies in the shadows of other people’s memories. Our generation of kids were born between 1965 and 1980, and it wasn’t an easy time. Our parents dealt with a two-income household as the economics of Globalism took root as the Berlin Wall fell. Many people of this era worked and went to college; there were no free passes. We wanted it all: family, career, and friends. Yet, we kept a sense of humor about it all.
Britannica: www.britannica.com/topic/Generation-X
The Psychology of Generation X Explained: www.newtraderu.com/2026/02/04/the-psychology-of-generation-x-explained
The Last Analog Mind: A Psychological Autopsy of Generation X: www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXeEElTfl8o
The Future Resides in the Past
Why are we discussing Generation X? Technology. Boomers are retiring from the rat race. Millennials and Generation Z are rising through the ranks of society. The pillars of stability and wisdom are being handed over to Generation X to navigate the coming breakthroughs in technology.
The Millennials and Gen Z have no analog frame of reference with which to question and ascertain, what is real or what is Memorex? Only Gen Xers will understand that old commercial. Will you know what is or isn’t Artificial Intelligence (AI), if you grew up with it? Gen X can recognize digitization.
This key factor of knowing when something is not what it appears may be the single greatest gift that humanity could receive. We didn’t grow up in an artificial world. We didn’t rely on the news to inform us. Generation X sought knowledge and wisdom.
Now, we have data and data sets. We have curated news and information. We have a prison world of technology. The internet has a kill switch. Your car monitors your driving. The thermostat in your home can be turned off by the electric company.
Generation X never had to deal with the outside looking in. That was our job. Here, we are having to be that sentry, again.
What the Next Generations Lack
Oh, the hate mail in the comments section…
Since Millennials and Gen Z never new a world without the fall out of 9/11, had to deal with two countries with nuclear weapons goading each other every week, or an economy with millions on unemployment, they rely on technology to cloister them in virtual reality and gaming. Those mental escapes don’t create culture or nurture society.
Reliance on all things fictional makes you weak.
Here are some disturbing statistics:
Gen Z may think they have it rough but millennials are the most burned-out generation: https://fortune.com/article/millennials-most-burnt-out-generation-more-than-gen-z
“A 2023 health survey from Cigna revealed 98 percent of Gen Z workers are actively dealing with symptoms of burnout.
Following efforts to rebuild after the pandemic, a 2022 survey by Deloitte found that 46 percent of Gen Z respondents and 45 percent of millennials felt burned out due to the pressures of their working environment. The same report found that 44 percent of Gen Z workers and 43 percent of millennials have rejected job opportunities because of worries about how it may affect their mental health.”
www.newsweek.com/gen-z-millennial-workers-lose-ambition-2023476
“Resume Genius asked 625 U.S. hiring managers which generation is the most challenging to work with, and 45% pointed to Gen Z, the generation born between 1997 and 2012. What’s more, 50% of Gen Z hiring managers admitted that their own generation is the most difficult to manage.”
How Generation X Can Bridge the Gaps in Humanity created by Technology?
Mentor your local burn-out. Mentor the generations coming up. Mentor someone before they fail.
Gen X is more than an age statistic that employers refuse to champion. Our generation of kids can become the greatest asset to our culture and society by fostering knowledge, commitment, expectations, and wisdom.
The analog mind has no constraints on creativity, memory, or forward-thinking. Technology has not slowed down our mental or emotional capacities in order to rise above us. We are free-range.
Let’s begin another era of the human analog and outsmart technology.
We became our own heroes.
Now, let’s be theirs.
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Want more analog mind?
Read Kurst: A Salt Pines Mystery for an introduction to free-range thinker.
Karen Kurst comes into the legal possession of her deceased grandmother’s cabin in Salt Pines, Arizona. As she delves into the secrets of the quaint mountain village, she discovers that there is more than meets the eye. A mysterious creature roams the woods, a blended cryptid: Elemental, Sasquatch, and Skinwalker. The only way to contain this entity is through a magical spell passed down by her ancestor, Ralph Wallen II. Teaming up with the local indigenous sheriff, Karen is determined to break the family curse.
However, the question remains – will she have to sacrifice her own life to protect her newfound community?
Visit Kurst: www.undawnted.com/p/kurst-inheritance-curse-cabin.html
The short story is available in Midnight Garden anthology. books2read.com/MidnightGardenAnthology
The novelette is available now at these fine retailers: books2read.com/Kurst
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About DL Mullan
DL Mullan’s lecture, Spacescapes: Where Photography Ends; Imagination Begins, debuted at the Phoenix Astronomy Society, which then led to her Sally Ride Festival lectures. Her presentation, Bridging the Gap between Technology and Women, won her accolades at a community college’s Student Success Conference. She has been a panelist at speculative fiction, science fiction, and other regional conventions. Her digital exhibition pieces have won awards at convention art shows, as well as garnered her Second Premium at the Arizona State Fair. As an independent publisher, she uses her technical background to innovate in the creative arts.
As a creator, Ms. Mullan, began writing short stories and poetry before adolescence. Over the years, she has showcased her literary talents by self-publishing several collections of her poetry. She also writes novels, designs apparel, and creates digital art. DL Mullan‘s creative writing is available in digital and print collections, from academia to commercial anthologies. She is an award-winning digital artist and poet.
Currently, she has embarked on writing her multi-book Legacy Universe, Supernatural Superhero Series, as well as creating original soundtracks for her publications and independent electronic music albums, featured on SoundCloud and YouTube.
DL Mullan holds a Master of Arts in Teaching and Learning with Technology, and is a syndicated columnist, writing the creative nonfiction, Undawntech.
For news and updates, subscribe to the Undawntable Newsletter. Find DL on Amazon, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube via her website.
Be sure to subscribe to her newsletters and follow her on social media. For further information, visit her at www.undawntech.com and www.undawnted.com.
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This segment of “Undawntech” is sponsored by the Midnight Anthology Series and WordCrafter Press.
Midnight Roost: Weird and Creepy Stories: 20 authors bring your nightmares to life in 23 stories of ghosts, paranormal phenomenon and the horror from the dark crevasses of their minds. Stories of stalkers, both human and supernatural, possession and occult rituals, alien visitations of the strange kind, and ghostly tales that will give you goosebumps. These are the tales that will make you fear the dark. Read them at the Midnight Roost… if you dare. https://www.amazon.com/Midnight-Roost-Kaye-Lynne-Booth-ebook/dp/B0CL6FPLVJ
Midnight Garden: Where Dark Tales Grow: 17 authors bring you 21 magnificent dark tales. Stories of magic, monsters and mayhem. Tales of murder and madness which will make your skin crawl. These are the tales that explore your darkest fears. Read them in the Midnight Garden… if you dare. https://www.amazon.com/Midnight-Garden-Where-Tales-Anthology-ebook/dp/B0DJNDQJD3
Midnight Oil: Stories to Fuel Your Nightmares: 14 authors bring you 16 dark tales that explore your deepest fears. These are the stories which nightmares are made of. Tales of monsters, mayhem, and madness which will make you shiver in the dark. Read them while you burn the Midnight Oil… if you dare. https://books2read.com/Midnight-Oil
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